Emily Segada (Provided photo — Casey Anna Photography)

WESTPORT — Champlain Area Trails welcomes Emily Segada as the organization’s new operations and communications manager.

Segada is a recent graduate from Paul Smith’s College, where she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Natural Resource Conservation and Management and a minor in Environmental Communications.

She was an active member of Paul Smith’s Alumni Office, working closely with its board of trustees, major donors, event planning and multi-database management. She is an involved volunteer with the Paul Smith’s Student Veteran Association.

Her planning, administrative and communications experience complement her passion for trails, conservation and being outdoors, CATS said in a press release.

Segada also served as a peer leader while studying at Paul Smith’s, working with students and their families, as well as the college, to create an inclusive and welcoming campus community. She has written press releases, managed social media and even co-designed a mile-long interpretive trail in Lake Clear with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation for her senior Capstone project.

“We are thrilled to have Emily join our team,” CATS Executive Director Chris Maron said in the release, “and it’s great to see young people moving to this area. We are excited to have help in advancing our mission of saving land, making trails, connecting people with nature and promoting economic vitality in New York’s Champlain Valley.”

CATS thanked Michelle Maron for stepping in as interim operations and communications manager for the past two months.

CATS is a nonprofit, accredited land trust whose mission is to save land, make trails, connect people with nature and promote economic vitality in New York’s Champlain Valley.